Input devices used for personal computers such as pointer devices for cursor control, such as mouse and trackball devices, have traditionally been the most commonly used input devices for controlling cursor movement on a computer screen. A computer mouse is a device that a user can move across a pad thereby controlling cursor movement and cursor-related functions on a computer screen via a calibrated ball that rolls across the surface of a pad as the mouse is caused to move. Coded signals sent by a computer mouse are decoded with the aid of software in the computer, and the signals received are often and interfaced with the appropriate features within an application being used.
A computer mouse or trackball is typically physically enabled via a ball and two internal rollers. The rollers are held against the ball by springs or other tension devices. The ball inside a mouse is designed for rolling on a desk or mouse-pad as a user operates the device. As the ball rolls on a surface, calibrated contact-rollers that interface to the ball move in conjunction with the ball thus enabling cursor movement. Typically one roller is set at right angles to another with one providing input for x-direction movement and the other for y-direction movement. A trackball operates much in the same way as a conventional mouse accept that instead of moving the input device across a mouse pad, the device is stationary and a user manipulates the ball directly to provide the same type of input as would be the case with a mouse.
One problem with the ball-roller system of a mouse is that the internal rollers of the mouse or track ball inevitably become contaminated with lint, dirt, grime, hair, and other types of particulate matter present in the environment. When the ball and roller system of a mouse or track ball becomes contaminated, the efficiency of the device related to cursor movement begins to degrade.
Cleaning the internal rollers of a mouse or track ball is often a tedious and monotonous process. This process involves removing the rubber ball from the bottom of the mouse (from the top with a track ball) and manually scraping the rollers with a knife or other device. Often heavy lint must be tweezed out from rollers and tension devices with a pair of tweezers or other such implement. Manual cleaning operations may take considerable time depending on the type of contamination. If one is not careful during the cleaning process, rollers may be damaged by scratching or gouging. In some cases, new device components may be required to replace components such as rollers damaged during scraping. More often it is necessary to purchase and install a new pointer device to achieve expected fuctionality.
What is clearly needed is method and apparatus for cleaning the rollers of a mouse or track ball that eliminates the need for manual operations such as scraping, tweezing, swabbing, and the like.